Cochlear Implants in Congenitally Deaf Children: A Discussion Built on Rights-Based Arguments.

The author discusses rights-based arguments for and against cochlear implants in congenitally deaf children and analyzes whether CIs should be required by law or left to parental discretion. Positions for and against CIs are analyzed in light of two rights-based arguments: Griffin's theory on personhood as a solution to a conflict of rights and his theory on quality of life as a solution to a conflict between rights and welfare (Griffin, 2008). The question of whether CIs should be required by law is then discussed in light of Nickel's theories on the justification of specific rights and on the avoidance of conflicts (Nickel, 2007). In this discussion, the author's aim is not to propose definitive answers, but to apply philosophical theories to the debate and introduce tools for analyzing arguments for and against CIs in children and for regulating cochlear implantation.